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American symphony orchestra in St. Louis, MO

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1880 by Joseph Otten as the St. Louis Choral Society, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) is the second oldest professional symphony orchestra in the United States, preceded only by the New York Philharmonic. Its principal concert venue is Powell Hall, located in midtown St. Louis.

The St. Louis Choral Society performed in the auditorium of the St. Louis Mercantile Library at Locust and Broadway in Downtown St. Louis. During the 1881/82 season the 80 member chorus was joined by an orchestra of 31 members. A disbanded Musical Union joined the group. In 1893, the St. Louis Choral Symphony was formally incorporated. It remained largely a choral organization through its performances at the 1904 World's Fair under Alfred Ernst when it expanded to a 200 member chorus and an orchestra of 55. Under Max Zach's tenure (1907 to 1921), it changed its name to the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Before moving to its current home in Powell Hall, the SLSO performed for many years at the Kiel Opera House. The orchestra has given concerts regularly at Carnegie Hall and has made overseas tours to Europe and to Japan. The St. Louis Symphony has recorded for the Columbia, RCA Victor, Red Seal, Telarc, Vox/Turnabout, Angel EMI, and Nonesuch labels. It has also issued CD recordings on its own label, Arch Media, and has received seven Grammy Awards and 58 nominations. For Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, the St. Louis Symphony has been the resident orchestra since 1978, divided into two ensembles, each performing two of the operas in the season. Also associated with the orchestra is the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, which was founded in 1977. Its first director was Thomas Peck. Since 1995, Amy Kaiser has served as the chorus director. The national prestige of the St. Louis Symphony grew most prominently during the music directorship of Leonard Slatkin, from 1979 to 1996. During his tenure, the orchestra made many recordings for the EMI and RCA Victor labels, and toured to Europe and the Far East, as well as concerts at Carnegie Hall. However, this growth in prestige was not matched by stabilization of long term finances. In 2000, the SLSO's endowment stood at US$28 million. In 2000, the executive director and President of the SLSO at the time, Don Roth, had secured a US$40 million challenge grant from the Taylor family (owners of privately held Enterprise Rent A Car) to help the organization's money situation. However, in that same year, he revealed the situation of severe financial problems with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra finances, which nearly led to the orchestra's bankruptcy in 2001. Roth resigned his position in July 2001, and was succeeded by Randy Adams, a former St. Louis bank executive. Adams embarked on extensive fund raising efforts in the following years, seeking to enlarge the SLSO's endowment in the process. As part of the budget cuts and cost saving measures, the musicians agreed to salary cuts over that time, and also a reduction of their 52 week contract to 42 weeks. Following the departure of Hans Vonk as music director after the 2001 2002 season, Itzhak Perlman served as music adviser to the orchestra from 2002 to 2004. In December 2003, the symphony's board announced David Robertson as the next music director of the orchestra, effective with the 2005/06 season. In January 2005, a labor dispute led to a cancellation of concerts for two months. Before the musicians could vote on the terms of the new contract, management changed the locks to Powell Hall without notifying them. Auditions were cancelled, and the health insurance for musicians was cancelled without notice as well. Whilst the musicians considered themselves to be 'locked out', management considered this action to be an illegal strike, since the players' attorney, Leonard Leibowitz, had advised them against filing certain documents as required by law. The National Labor Relations Board agreed with management. After a two month period of negotiations, the musicians agreed to a ten week reduction from a 52 week season, and 30% wage reductions. Upon returning to the stage, the musicians enacted a "Vote of No Confidence" on Executive Director Randy Adams. Both parties then reached a mutual agreement under which they agreed to refer to the eight week period as a "Work Stoppage" and the "Vote of No Confidence" was rescinded. In March 2005, the musicians and Adams agreed to a new contract. From 2005–2018, the SLSO music director was David Robertson. During Robertson's tenure, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra has partnered with St. Louis Public Radio to broadcast its subscription concerts live every Saturday night during its regular season, since the fall of 2010, after the sale of the St. Louis classical radio station KFUO. Robertson conducted the orchestra's first ever appearance at The Proms in September 2012. In 2013, Robertson's contract was extended through the 2015/16 season, and a further contract extension, announced in March 2014, was through the 2017/18 season. Robertson's tenure as SLSO music director concluded at the end of the 2017/2018 season. Adams stood down as the orchestra's president and executive director in June 2007. Fred Bronstein assumed the posts in March 2008. Faced with declining ticket sales and deficits, Bronstein immediately launched an aggressive new revenue plan with audience development at the core of its actions. Bronstein also took steps to broaden and diversify the symphony's programming through popularly oriented programming series such as "Live at Powell Hall". Since 2008, because of new programming and marketing strategies, ticket revenues have grown 39% in the 2012 fiscal year, the highest revenues in over a decade, while seats sold grew by 16% and more than 31,000 new people were added to the customer base, reversing five years of decline. Because of successful audience development initiatives at the core of the plan as well as other revenue progress and strong management of expenses, the structural deficit (whose gaps are funded by additional contributions) has declined 18% from $3.4M in 2007 to $2.8M in 2011, dipping as low as $2.62m in 2010. Bronstein left the SLSO to head the Peabody Conservatory in the spring of 2014. In February 2015, the SLSO named Marie Hélène Bernard, then president of the Handel and Haydn Society as its new president and CEO, effective July 1, 2015. In 2003, Stéphane Denève first guest conducted the orchestra. In June 2017, the orchestra named Denève as its next music director, effective with the 2019 2020 season, with an initial contract of three seasons. He held the title of Music Director Designate for the 2018 2019 season. In March 2021, the orchestra announced the extension of Denève's contract as its music director through the 2025 2026 season.

In its 140 year history, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra has earned nine Grammy Awards out of 60 nominations from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. +YearCategoryWorksConductorAdditional NomineesResult1978Best Classical Performance ChoralProkofiev: Alexander NevskyLeonard SlatkinThomas Peck, Chorus directorNominatedBest Engineered Recording ClassicalMarc Aubort, Joanna NickrenzBest Classical Performance OrchestraRachmaninoff: Symphony No. 1Nominated1979Best Classical Performance OrchestraRachmaninoff: Symphony Nos. 2 & 3Leonard SlatkinNominatedBest Engineered Recording ClassicalMarc Aubort, Joanna NickrenzClassical Producer of the YearRachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3Marc Aubort, Joanna NickrenzNominatedBest Classical Performance ChoralBeethoven: "Choral Fantasy," "Elegiac Song," "Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage"Jerzy SemkowThomas Peck, Chorus directorNominated1980Classical Producer of the YearBizet: Carmen Suites 1 and 2; Grieg: Peer Gynt Suites 1 and 2Leonard SlatkinRobert WoodsWon1981Best Classical Performance ChoralProkofiev: Music from the films, Ivan the TerribleLeonard SlatkinThomas Peck, Chorus directorNominated1982Best Classical Performance OrchestraDebussy: La Mer, Prelude a l'apres midi d'un Faune, Danses Sacre et ProfaneLeonard SlatkinNominatedBest Classical AlbumClassical Producer of the YearRobert WoodsWonBest Classical Performance ChoralRachmaninoff: The Bells, "Three Russian Songs"Thomas Peck, Chorus directorNominated1983Best Classical Orchestral RecordingDel Tredici: In Memory of a Summer Day (Child Alice, Part 1)Leonard SlatkinNominatedBest Engineered Recording ClassicalMarc AubortClassical Producer of the YearMarc Aubort, Joanna NickrenzWon1984Best Classical Orchestral RecordingProkofiev: Symphony No. 5Leonard SlatkinWonBest Engineered Recording ClassicalPaul GoodmanBest Classical AlbumNominatedClassical Producer of the YearJay David Saks1985Best Classical AlbumProkofiev: Cinderella SuiteLeonard SlatkinNominatedBest Classical Orchestral RecordingBest Engineered Recording ClassicalPaul GoodmanClassical Producer of the YearProkofiev: Cinderella Suite; Tchaikovsky: The NutcrackerJay David SaksNominatedBest Engineered Recording ClassicalTchaikovsky: The NutcrackerPaul Goodman, Thomas MacCluskeyNominated1986Best Classical AlbumCopland: Billy the Kid and RodeoLeonard SlatkinNominatedBest Classical Orchestral RecordingBest Engineered Recording ClassicalMarc AubortClassical Producer of the YearMarc Aubort, Joanna NickrenzClassical Producer of the YearShostakovich: Symphony No. 5Jay David SaksNominated1987Best Classical AlbumHanson: Symphony No. 2, "Romantic"; Barber: Violin ConcertoLeonard SlatkinNominatedBest Classical Orchestral RecordingHanson: Symphony No. 2, "Romantic"Best Classical Performance Instrumental Soloist with OrchestraBarber: Violin ConcertoElmar Oliveira, violinBest Contemporary CompositionSchwantner: A Sudden RainbowNominatedClassical Producer of the YearBrahms: Serenade No. 1; Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10Jay David SaksNominated1988Best Classical Orchestral RecordingCopland: Appalachian SpringLeonard SlatkinNominatedClassical Producer of the YearJoanna NickrenzBest Contemporary CompositionBolcom: Symphony No. 4Joan Morris, mezzo sopranoNominated1989Best Classical Performance Instrumental Soloist with OrchestraSchuman: Violin Concerto; Bernstein: SerenadeLeonard SlatkinRobert McDuffie, violinNominatedClassical Producer of the YearPatti Laursen1990Best Classical Orchestral RecordingShostakovich: Symphony No. 8Leonard SlatkinNominatedBest Engineered Recording ClassicalWilliam Hoekstra1991Best Classical AlbumBarber: Symphony No. 1 and Piano ConcertoLeonard SlatkinNominatedBest Classical Performance Instrumental Soloist with OrchestraJohn Browning, pianoWonBest Engineered Recording ClassicalWilliam HoekstraNominatedBest Orchestral PerformanceCopland: Symphony No. 3NominatedBest Classical Performance Instrumental Soloist with OrchestraBartok: Violin/Viola ConcertosPinchas Zuckerman, violinNominated1992Best Classical Orchestral RecordingSchuman: Symphony No. 10, New England Triptych, American Festival Overture, Variations on America (orch. Ives)Leonard SlatkinNominated1993Best Orchestral PerformanceIves: Symphony No. 3Leoanrd SlatkinNominatedBest Contemporary CompositionErb: Concerto for Brass and OrchestraNominated1994Best Engineered Recording ClassicalBartok: The Miraculous Mandarin and Concerto for OrchestraLeonard SlatkinWilliam HoekstraNominatedBest Engineered Recording ClassicalCopland: Music for FilmsWilliam HoekstraWon1995Best Engineered Recording ClassicalAnderson: The Typewriter: Leroy Anderson FavoritesLeonard SlaktinWilliam HoekstraNominatedBest Engineered Recording ClassicalOrff: Carmina BuranaWilliam HoekstraNominated1996Best Classical AlbumCopland: Dance Symphony, Short Symphony, Organ SymphonyLeonard SlatkinNominatedBest Engineered Recording ClassicalLawrence Rock, Williams HoekstraClassical Producer of the YearJoanna NickrenzWon2015Best Orchestral PerformanceAdams: City Noir and Saxophone ConcertoDavid RobertsonTim McAllister, saxophoneWonBest Engineered Album ClassicalRichard KingNominated2016Best Classical Instrumental SoloAdams: Scheherazade.2David RobertsonLeila Josefowicz, violinNominated

Leonard Slatkin established the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra in 1970. The orchestra's assistant conductor (known also in the past as resident conductor) also acts as music director of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra. Past St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Assistant Conductors have included Slatkin, Gerhardt Zimmermann, David Loebel, David Amado, Scott Parkman, Ward Stare, Steven Jarvi, and Gemma New. In December 2020, the SLSO announced the appointment of Stephanie Childress as its next assistant conductor and music director of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, effective with the 2021 2022 season.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra houses two choral ensembles: the St. Louis Symphony Chorus and the IN UNISON Chorus. Founded in 1976 by music director Jerzy Semkow and its first director, Thomas Peck, the St. Louis Symphony Chorus is an orchestral chorus that performs in major concerts throughout each season, usually featured in choral symphonies. The Symphony Chorus, until recently, was directed by Amy Kaiser, a well known choral director, having previously led various ensembles across the country. The IN UNISON Chorus was established in 1994 by Robert Ray, and performs a variety of musical styles; it primarily focuses on the music of African American and African cultures, notably gospel music, and partners with several churches in the St. Louis area. The IN UNISON Chorus is currently directed by Kevin McBeth, who is also Director of Music at Manchester United Methodist Church in suburban St. Louis. The ensemble celebrated its 25th anniversary during the 2018/2019 season. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra also features the Holiday Festival Chorus, consisting of high school aged singers from across the St. Louis region, performing at holiday concerts each season.